Elon Musk said Tesla FSD will let drivers use their phones, then police in Illinois, Arizona and New York responded
Published on Dec 05, 2025 at 7:59 AM (UTC-5)
by Keelin McNamara
Last updated on Dec 05, 2025 at 12:38 PM (UTC-5)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Elon Musk says drivers will be able to use their phones while relying on Tesla FSD (full self-driving).
Musk made the statement on X this week, and it’s proving controversial.
The Tesla CEO suggested drivers would be able to text and drive depending on a few factors, including traffic conditions.
Police in various states across the United States have taken a different view.
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Elon Musk claims FSD could allow drivers to use their phones
Elon Musk has made some pretty bold remarks about Tesla’s FSD technology.
When an X user asked if drivers would be able to text and drive on FSD v14.2, Musk had an interesting response.
He said drivers would be able to use their phones while driving with FSD activated ‘depending on context of surrounding traffic’.
Unsurprisingly, his tweet has caused quite a stir in law enforcement.
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Police have responded to the Tesla CEO
Of course, there’s still one small issue.
It is still very much illegal to text and drive.
There are no state laws anywhere in the US that allow for phone usage if an FSD system is engaged.
Many states are still just playing catch-up to the very idea of autonomous cars.
It is also important to note that FSD is not a fully autonomous driving system (yet).
The American EV giant attaches the term ‘supervised’ to its FSD technology and for good reason.
Given all this, it should come as little surprise to the billionaire that the cops have something to say about his statement.
Speaking to Business Insider, state law enforcement members from Illinois, Arizona and New York confirmed their stance.
Texting and driving remains illegal – and there are no exceptions for autonomous driving technology.
What is interesting is that these three states are in the top 10 for highest EV registrations in the US.
Cases of emergencies could be the only exceptions, the spokespeople for Illinois State Police and the Arizona Department of Public Safety said.
“Texting and driving/talking (while holding a phone) is still illegal, along with using any other portable wireless communication device while driving,” a spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Public Safety wrote.
It will be interesting to see if this ever changes in the near future.
But for now, law enforcement has made its position crystal clear to Elon Musk.
Texting and driving is still illegal – and Tesla FSD doesn’t change that.
